Working in Germany: how to write a Lebenslauf and which documents you need

In Germany the CV decides in almost every channel - the Fachkräfte visa, the Chancenkarte, the nursing programme, and even seasonal and restaurant jobs ask for «Lebenslauf + Anschreiben». Below: the Lebenslauf sections, the photo and the AGG rule, typical mistakes made by applicants from Uzbekistan, hiring channels, German levels, checking your degree through Anabin and ZAB, and a German-language sample for a nurse.

Lebenslauf format: the sections and what goes in them

A German CV opens with the word «Lebenslauf», then the name and photo, then the sections in a fixed order. Each section is a two-column table: period or row label on the left, content on the right. HR departments are used to this order - they look for the date on the left and the position on the right, and when the order is broken the document looks foreign.

Length: one or two pages; with up to five years of experience one page is enough. Dates only as MM/JJJJ - 03/2026, with «heute» for the current job. Duties under each job start with a noun: «Durchführung der Grund- und Behandlungspflege», «Führung der Pflegedokumentation». Parents, siblings, ethnicity, religion - none of these belong in a Lebenslauf; those used to the Uzbek obyektivka form must remove exactly these rows.

Photo and personal data: what is mandatory and what is optional

Under the German equal-treatment rule (AGG) the photo is not mandatory - an employer may not demand it. In practice most applicants attach one and HR expects it. Date and place of birth and nationality are ordinary rows of Persönliche Daten. Marital status (Familienstand) is optional: often given in nursing and restaurant jobs, usually left out in IT. The address is written even if it is in Uzbekistan - the employer needs to know where the candidate will come from.

• Photo: 3×4 or slightly larger, light background, business dress, a light smile, taken in a studio - a phone selfie will not do.
• Nationality: «usbekisch» - citizenship, not ethnicity.
• Place of birth: city and country - «Samarkand, Usbekistan».
• Address: no street needed, district, city and country are enough; if you are in Germany - the German address.
• Phone in international format; no need to mention WhatsApp.

Typical mistakes made by applicants from Uzbekistan

• Obyektivka style: rows about parents, siblings, ethnicity, military rank - no place for them in a Lebenslauf.
• An English CV where German is required - a German Lebenslauf is expected.
• Date format 2026-03 or 03.2026 - in Germany it is 03/2026.
• No signature and date - to a German employer an unfinished document.
• Unexplained gaps in experience - HR asks about every empty month.
• Language level written as «good» - a CEFR level and the certificate name are needed.
• No Anschreiben, or one template for every employer - the letter is written per company.
• A word-for-word translation of the degree title - use the official name from Anabin.
• Sending a Europass - not expected in Germany, a plain Lebenslauf reads better.

How hiring for Germany works: the channels

The migration agreement between Uzbekistan and Germany was signed on 13.09.2024. In 2024, 800 nurses left, with salaries from 2,200 euros a month; the German side has requested 40,000 nurses, and a German Medical Academy has opened in Tashkent (gazeta.uz, 21.04.2026). In the Migration Agency's 12 «profession + language» projects half of the language-course costs are reimbursed. In every channel the employer selects the candidate by CV - only the visa differs.

Fachkräfte visa: an employer has been found

The main route for skilled specialists: a German company reads the Anschreiben, Lebenslauf and Zeugnisse, interviews, issues a contract, and the candidate applies for a visa at the German consulate. Here the CV is the centre of the package.

Chancenkarte: a visa for job seeking

The Chancenkarte lets you enter Germany without an employer and look for work there. Conditions: at least 6 points in the points system, German A1 or English B2, a degree listed in the Anabin database with the H+ mark or a ZAB Statement of Comparability (about 2 months), and proof of funds of 1,091 euros a month. In Germany the employer will still read the Lebenslauf and Anschreiben - so prepare them before leaving.

Nurses (Pflege): recognition and B2

Nursing is a regulated profession in Germany: to work, the degree is recognised by the authority of the federal state (Anerkennung) and German B2 is required. The Lebenslauf goes both into the recognition application and to the employer; it must describe the college programme, placements and wards precisely - that is exactly what the recognition authority compares. Recruitment under the intergovernmental programme runs through the Migration Agency, but the employer still picks the candidate by Lebenslauf.

Seasonal work, HoReCa and Ausbildung

Even a HoReCa employer like Europa-Park (German B1, age 18-40, 2,500 euros gross) requires a Lebenslauf in the German format and an Anschreiben (spot.uz, 25.09.2025). Ausbildung - the vocational training route - needs the same package plus the school certificate. There is no channel without a CV in Germany.

German language: which level is needed where

A1 is the minimum for the Chancenkarte (or English B2 instead). B1 - HoReCa and seasonal work, as in the Europa-Park example. B2 - nurses and other regulated professions. In the Lebenslauf the level is given by CEFR with the certificate name and date: «Deutsch B1 (Goethe-Zertifikat, 03/2026)». A level without a certificate will be tested at the interview. If the course is not finished yet, say so honestly: «B2 in Vorbereitung».

The Lebenslauf must be in German; for an English-language advert you send the English version, but the table structure stays the same - in the builder the de1 template works in both languages. The «Chet elga» package translates the Lebenslauf into German with AI; «Chet elga+» adds a draft Anschreiben (in DIN 5008 layout) and the English version. This is an AI translation, not a notarised one - the diploma and references need an official translation separately.

What to do with your degree: Anabin and ZAB

Anabin is the database of the German Conference of Education Ministers: if your institution is listed with the H+ mark and your field is in the list, the degree counts as recognised. If not, you request a Statement of Comparability from ZAB - about 2 months. For regulated professions - nurse, doctor - you additionally go through Anerkennung at the federal-state authority. The diploma, its transcript and employment references are submitted with an official translation; the institution name in the Lebenslauf must match the Anabin entry.

For comparison, see the 이력서 page - there too the employer chooses, but the form is built differently. Texts by profession are in the resume examples section; other destinations are in the Abroad section.

Build a CV in the Lebenslauf format